He turned his head, glaring at her, and said, "I'm angry because you're my wife. I should have been the one to play the hero and save the beauty, but Yunzhou beat me to it. Can't I be angry with myself?"
I burst out laughing; he looked so adorable.
"Laugh, let you laugh!"
He suddenly reached out and put his arm around my shoulder, and before I could react, my lips were sealed by his...
The last rays of the setting sun seemed to be suddenly blocked out, and night fell in an instant. All around was quiet, and I could clearly hear his breathing. The sea breeze was gentle, slow and intermittent, and the sound of the waves gradually faded into the distance. I closed my eyes, and my nerves, stretched to the limit, finally settled into a state of calm.
Hmm, he had the energy to molest me so quickly, so he must be alright now. Oh well, I guess I won't resist...
The mystery of finding his father forces his mother to come out.
Madam Qing settled us in a guest room behind the side hall of Jinbo Palace, and then led my master to another room, saying, "This is what the Palace Master instructed. If Sect Leader Shi comes one day, he can rest here."
My master's hand was on the door, as if he wanted to push it open but was afraid to. I wondered to myself, this room was prepared especially for him, what kind of memories are inside? Was my master afraid of disturbing those memories, or afraid of stirring them up?
He hesitated, looking somewhat apprehensive about returning home, but eventually slowly lowered his hand, sighed, and said, "Let's eat first."
Soon, Madam Qing arranged a sumptuous meal. All the cups, plates, and chopsticks used at the banquet were made of silver. Madam Qing personally sat down to dine with the guests, her intentions being self-evident.
Yunzhou sat directly across from me. Every time I glanced up unintentionally, I met his gaze. My heart raced and I felt flustered, so I pretended to be very hungry and ate in silence. Jiang Chen, on the other hand, was full of energy and telling his uncles about our experiences on the island.
He exclaimed vividly, "My fellow martial uncles, today at Jinbo Palace I tasted delicacies rarely found in heaven or on earth! One dish was called 'Soaring to Prominence,' and the other was called 'Unrivaled Courage in the Three Armies.' Tsk tsk, they were so delicious they made me feel like I was in heaven!"
Just thinking about those two dishes made it incredibly difficult to swallow the steamed bun in my mouth. It was stuck there and I just couldn't get it down. Helpless, I forced myself to swallow three mouthfuls of tea and then, with a determined heart, poured it down my throat.
My fellow disciples, probably busy rushing to rescue us, had been eating nothing but bland food the whole way. Upon hearing this, their mouths watered, and they eagerly asked, "What kind of dish is it? How is it made?"
Jiang Chen chuckled and said, "I'll make these two dishes for my fellow disciples later. I guarantee you'll never forget them after just one bite."
Madam Qing looked embarrassed and said in a low voice, "That was Zhou Yicong's order."
Seventh Uncle said, "Alright, alright. Jiang Chen, don't forget that!"
Jiang Chen chuckled and nodded vigorously, then raised an eyebrow at me and gave me a knowing look, which seemed like a flirtatious glance.
The other disciples were in high spirits, but the master was gloomy. He ate a little rice and then left the table to go to his room.
Seventh Uncle turned his head and looked at them, asking in surprise, "What's going on? Xiao Mo and Jiang Chen came back safely, so why is Senior Brother so angry? Why is he staying in his room without even finishing his meal?"
I was also puzzled by my master's behavior. Could it be that he was angry that I had come to Jinbo Island without permission? The thought of making my master worry and go through all that trouble made me feel guilty. I couldn't even eat. I quietly went to my master's door, knocked, and whispered, "Master, it's me."
"Come in."
I pushed open the door and was stunned!
This room, decorated only in blue and white, is clean and simple, like the colors of the sea and sky. Its style and layout are very similar to the room my master had in the Xiaoyao Sect! The most peculiar thing is that there is a stone mountain half a person's height in the center of the room! The mountain is elegant and unique, with moss growing at its base and a babbling stream, giving the room a tranquil and otherworldly atmosphere.
Master stood with his hands behind his back before the rocky mountain, as steadfast as a rock. Half a month had passed since I last saw him, and he seemed to have lost some weight; his silhouette appeared even more aloof and ethereal.
I slowly walked over and whispered, "Master, I'm sorry. I was rash and made you and my fellow disciples worry."
“I don’t blame you. You know about your past and want to see your mother; there’s nothing wrong with that.” He didn’t turn around; his voice was low and hoarse, somewhat listless and uninterested.
So Master wasn't blaming me after all. I breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Master, I was too naive. I always thought seeing is believing. In the end, the Palace Master I met was a fake."
My master suddenly turned around: "Who did you see?" I was surprised to find that my master's eyes seemed a little red.
"She claimed to be Palace Master Murong, but Jiang Chen said she was an imposter."
The master stepped forward and hurriedly asked, "What does she look like?"
"She was veiled and extremely tall."
“Extremely tall? Then, it’s not her.” The master’s voice lowered, his disappointment evident.
I asked softly, "Master, have you seen her? What does she look like?"
The master turned around, his fingers gently tracing the moss on the rocky mountain, as tenderly as if caressing someone's skin. After a long while, he said in a daze, "Her appearance is very, very good. You look somewhat like her, especially your eyes."
I asked anxiously, "What kind of person is she? Are the rumors circulating in the martial arts world true?"
My master stood with his back to me in silence for a long time before finally saying, "Her only bad thing is that she was born Murong Chou's daughter. Some of the rumors are just hearsay and baseless speculation."
"Master, are you saying she's a good person?"
“She is wonderful in my heart. Even if everyone in the world says she is bad, I will still say she is good.” My master said these words very softly and slowly, but I could hear a slight sob in my voice. Was it just my imagination?
My curiosity and doubts were overflowing and I couldn't suppress them any longer, so I stepped forward and blurted out, "Master, are you and her very familiar with each other?"
The master lowered his head and said, slowly and deliberately, "Yes, very familiar with it."
I was startled to see a glimmer of tears in my master's eyes. Was I seeing things? I was stunned and at a loss for words, and dared not ask any further.
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of the flowing water beneath the rocky hill, its gentle murmur like the tinkling of wind chimes in a gentle breeze, a beautiful and captivating sound.
"Why did she do this? If I hadn't come, I would never have known that she had given such an order. Since she did this, why didn't she come to find me?" The master looked at the flowing water, seemingly talking to himself, or perhaps it was the rambling of someone drunk, his tone sorrowful, making one feel unbearable pain.
I didn't know the cause of his pain, nor how to comfort him. The gentle sound of flowing water added a touch of melancholy and beauty to his sorrow. I had a vague feeling that his relationship with my mother was more than just friendship, but I dared not speculate further, because in my heart, my master was noble and detached, seemingly untouched by personal feelings.
After a long pause, I stammered, "She trusts you a lot, so she entrusted me to you, right? She knows you recognize her handwriting, so she knows you'll raise me well, right?"
"Yes... For so many years, I have been trying to find her. I waited at the mountain gate on your birthday, but she never showed up. She would either send someone to deliver something or find another way or place. I never managed to see her. Later, I thought that she hated me and didn't want to see me."